A boy was allegedly beaten on his backside with a wooden ruler by a principal at a childcare centre after opening a toilet door while a girl was inside.

Stomp contributor llva, the boy's mother, alerted Stomp to the incident on Thursday (Feb 8).

In a phone interview, llva described how she had found red marks on her eight-year-old son's backside last Saturday (Feb 3) and lodged a police report the following Tuesday (Feb 6).

Ilva's husband discovered the marks as their son was showering after swimming between 6pm and 7pm.

He told his wife about the marks and llva confronted her son over the marks at about 9pm.

The boy told her that he had been beaten by a teacher at the childcare centre for 'talking in class' but did not elaborate.

IIva told Stomp that her son goes to Star Kidz Powerclub, a childcare centre at Block 509, Bedok North Avenue 3, from Monday to Friday weekly.

Classes for her son would start at 1.30pm and end at 7pm.

The centre is run by Mr Ryan Choo, an ex-TCS actor, and two female teachers.

Mr Choo also serves as the centre's principal.

After confronting her son, IIva then sent photos of his backside to Ms Sim, a teacher at the centre, via WhatsApp on Saturday night (Feb 3).

After receiving the photos, the teacher called llva, explaining that her son was punished by Mr Choo after the boy opened the door to a toilet while a girl was inside.

She told llva that she would check on the incident before hanging up.

IIva later received a call from Mr Choo on the same night, explaining that he had punished the child to pacify the girl's incensed parents.

According to the mother, Mr Choo told her that he was afraid the girl's parents would take matters into their own hands.

In IIva's account and the police report provided, llva's son had been playing hide-and-seek with children at the centre at around 4pm on Wednesday (Jan 31).

During the process, he opened the door to a shared toilet as he thought one of his friends was hiding inside.

Unfortunately, there was a girl inside who was relieving herself.

At the sudden intrusion, the girl cried and asked for her parents.

As punishment for the act, Mr Choo reportedly asked the boy to bend over a table and proceeded to beat him on his backside with a wooden ruler.

The boy subsequently went home but did not tell llva about the incident.

Said llva: "Although he (Mr Choo) told us that it was to pacify the girl's parents, we never heard from her parents since the incident, nor did they go to the centre.

"My son really just did it with no ill intentions, does it warrant a punishment like this?"

llva later visited the childcare centre on Monday (Feb 5) at around 5.30pm to confront Mr Choo.

He again told her that he had hit the boy backside with a wooden ruler.

He also pointed llva to the girl whom llva's son had walked in on the day of the incident.

llva lamented: "My son was hit on his backside for seven times! How can he not tell us after doing that?"

In response to a Stomp query, a police spokesman said: "The police confirm that a report was lodged. Investigations are ongoing."

Stomp had contacted Mr Choo and Star Kidz Powerclub on numerous occasions for a comment.

After receiving IIva's call on Thursday (Feb 8), Stomp called up the centre and spoke to Mr Choo, who said that he was upset over the incident, and would need to think about what he could share.

Stomp tried calling the centre again later in the day but could not get through.

On Friday (Feb 9), Stomp called the childcare centre again two times in the afternoon and requested to speak to Mr Choo, but could not get to him.

Instead, Ms Sim answered the call and told Stomp that the childcare centre did not have any way to contact Mr Choo.

However, she later said that she could indeed get in touch with Mr Choo, and she would tell him to get back to Stomp.

She added that Mr Choo is a good person, but he had just made a mistake.

She also revealed that he was feeling drowsy as he was on medication, and was thus unable to speak to Stomp.

However, Ms Sim said that she would convey to Mr Choo that Stomp was looking for him.

Mr Choo called Stomp back in the evening and said that he would be willing to give his comments on the incident, and asked the team to wait until his drowsiness wore off the following afternoon.

He also left his personal contact number.

On Saturday afternoon (Feb 10), Stomp called Mr Choo again and asked for his comments on the incident.

However, he told Stomp that he did not wish to make any comments.

They say that Singaporeans are not very romantic, but the city begs to differ.

Otherwise, why would it have so many interesting places for couples to go and spend time at?

If you've not tried the ones on this list, take it as a little inspiration to book something for your bae - it doesn't have to be on Valentine's Day - any day can be romantic can't it?

Singapore Flyer Couples' Package

There are a couple things you can do that are romantic at the Singapore Flyer.

One is the Singapore Flyer Sky Dining Flight for two, during which you will share the cabin with other couples and do two rounds (approximately one hour) for a full four-course menu. Y

You can also do the Premium Champagne Flight (which isn't limited to couples, but is pretty romantic if you happen to score it on a day when no one else has booked it) which includes one rotation, a glass of champagne and chocolate.

Staycation, staycation, staycation

Singaporeans love, love, love their staycations. And there is SO MUCH to choose from, whatever your budget.

Pick something that's uniquely you, whether you love soaring skyscraper views, or you and your bae are more into design and industrial chic places (case in point: The Warehouse Hotel).

The best part is, you can do this anytime (ie. NOT on Valentine's Day when prices skyrocket), just pick a good off-peak weekend.

Cycling at East Coast Park

Is it cheesy? Yeah, maybe a little. But there's nothing wrong with a cheap and cheerful bike ride at East Coast Park.

Go at sunset so that it's cooler, and take your time to bike the length of it - you can even stop at Lagoon Hawker Centre for a bite to eat or further down where there are more bars and restaurants.

We're sure you can find some quiet, secluded spots for some alone time too.

Stroll the S.E.A Aquarium

Fish are not just for families OK. It's quite romantic to be able to stroll or simply stand on the travelator and visit Asia's largest aquarium.

You can also carve out a space for yourself where you can sit and watch the rays swim in the huge main tank.

Try to pick a day that's more off-peak so you don't have to fight with too many other visitors.

Explore the National Gallery

Possibly one of Singapore's most beautiful, Instagrammable spaces, the National Gallery actually has it all.

Lots of places for romantic strolls, or private conversations, and even some great places to eat, shop and drink.

Make a day of it and get cultured, and once the sun sets head up to Smoke & Mirrors or one of the other restaurants for a nice view.

Dine in high places

For such a small country, Singapore offers a lot of places for some very special meals.

Besides both the Flyer and the cable car dining, you can also just visit some pretty special restaurants that are equally sky-high, like Stellar at 1-Altitude, Sear at Singapore Land Tower, and of course, all the Marina Bay Sands restaurants on the top floor.

Besides that, there are places like The Lighthouse at the Fullerton Hotel and across from there, the Boathouse, all of which offer some pretty special city views (there's plenty of places outside the city…we'll get to that).

Garden dining

While the pods at The Summerhouse out by the Seletar Airbase are a pretty unique place to enjoy a romantic meal, they aren't the only place for a little garden dining by far.

Don't miss out on old favourites, the Botanic Gardens and Dempsey Hill for a selection of great restaurants, as well as areas like Rochester Park where restaurants like Una are housed in old black and white bungalows.

Dining on Cloud 9

So apparently cable car dining - the only one of its kind in Asia - has actually been available in Singapore since the 90s. But we only recently discovered it and were really pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

A lot of work goes into making the experience seamless. You do three full rounds from Mount Faber to Sentosa (about one and a half hours) and back during which you get a three-course dinner including a welcome drink and wine. Go around 6.30pm so that you get the full effect of sunset.

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore

You don't see this often, at least not with a law enforcement body such as the Singapore Police Force (SPF), who has recently upped their social media game much to the amusement of their Facebook fans.

Over the weekend, the police released two tongue-in-cheek posts on Facebook and Instagram, reminding the public to remain vigilant this festive season. 

Netizens were not only amused, some even took the opportunity to come up with their own puns and others praised SPF for their sense of humour.

To remind people of pickpockets over the busy Chinese New Year period, SPF posted last Friday (Feb 10) a combination photo of an ear, a nose, teeth and fingers, with a tagline "Pick anything but pockets". 

The post has since been shared over 920 times with close to 200 comments from users who seemed rather entertained by the witty post.

Another post from SPF on Sunday (Feb 11) also caught the attention of Facebook users. 

In an effort to remind the public of shop theft this Chinese New Year, the police uploaded an image of a policeman chasing after a thief with a can of abalone, with a tagline that read "Stealing abalone? You'll end ab-alone in prison".

The post has since been shared over 1,746 times with over 310 comments. It also seems like the 'punny' ad had triggered some puns from commentators themselves:

AsiaOne understands that the posts were created by the SPF's in-house social media team. So if you thought the police were a bunch of boring officers in blue, po-lease, you might want to think again. 

klim@sph.com.sg

Local celebrity Quan Yifeng posted up two photos of her swollen right leg on her Facebook page on Friday night (Feb 9) at around 8pm.

In her post, she wrote that her limb had became swollen to the point it ‘resembled an elephant’.  

She said she was unsure what she was bitten by, but her leg had been painful for the last few days. 

However, she put up with the pain and continued working as usual. On Friday, she suddenly discovered that her right leg could not muster any strength and she could no longer walk. 

At the advice of good friend Addy Lee, she checked into a hospital. 

Following her admission, Lee posted up photos of Quan Yifeng in a hospital bed on his Instagram account and revealed that she would be undergoing a surgery.

Lianhe Wanbao contacted Lee for more details and were told that Qian Yifeng had gone to the airport on Friday night to pick up her mother and younger brother.

Coincidentally, Lee had called her at the time and found out from Quan Yifeng that her right leg was feeling weak and painful.

Lee immediately advised her to go to an accident and emergency department in a hospital. 

Quan Yifeng later consulted an orthopedist and was told that her wound had become infected. 

There was also pus from the inflammation, and a surgery was needed to remove the substance. 

When reporters contacted Quan Yifeng on Saturday (Feb 10), she told them that she had undergone a surgery at 1.30am, and was drowsy, drifting between sleep and consciousness. 

Reporters also noted that she sounded noticeably tired. 

She said that the doctor had confirmed that she was indeed bitten by a bug, and asked if she had been abroad recently. 

Quan Yifeng replied that she hadn’t and theorised that she could have been bitten while she was filming outdoors in Singapore a few days ago. 

“I didn’t feel anything while I was bitten. It wasn't even itchy. 

“On the second day,  there was suddenly a blister. I applied some medicine on it and it burst. It wasn’t painful at all. 

“On the third day, my right leg felt so weak and the wound started to swell, but I still continued with my outdoor shoot.”

Quan Yifeng continued with her routine up until Friday when she went to the airport to pick up her family members. 

She suddenly felt an intense pain on her ankle and started shivering. She also felt a burning sensation in her wound.

She said:

“Luckily my brother can drive. We went home to drop off our luggage and immediately headed to a hospital after that.”

Quan Yifeng also divulged that the doctors had bored a hole in her wound to drain the pus. 

The hole was only about the size of a dollar coin, but was quite deep she added.

As the infection had nearly reached her bone, the area of swelling was about 10cm in diameter. 

When she checked into the hospital, she had been unable to stand from the pain. 

Said Quan Yifeng:

“I did not expect a tiny red spot to be so serious. I didn’t even have to use a wheelchair during childbirth, but this time I had to.”

She also revealed that her family had flown over from Taiwan to spend the Lunar New Year.

“They intended to spend New Year here, but ended up spending the night in the hospital instead.”

Quan Yifeng’s mother also told reporters:

“Don’t need to worry about it, it will be alright after a little fixing.”

Despite her assurance, Quan Yifeng said that her mother was actually very worried, especially having to see her daughter in this state just after arriving in Singapore. 

The doctors told Quan Yifeng that she would have to remain in the hospital for at least two days, although she herself has attempted to shorten her stay, as she was worried that her stay may affect the Chinese New Year’s Eve’s program lineup. 

The medical staff also told her that there would be no scars. 

Asked if her daughter, Eleanor Lee, knew about her condition, Quan Yifeng said that she did not inform her daughter as she was filming a show in China and she did not want to cause her unnecessary worries. 

However, now that her condition has stabilised, she will inform her. 

In her Facebook post on Saturday morning, Quan Yifeng said:

“Thank you everybody, for your concern. Fortunately, I didn’t wait till morning to visit the doctor or things could have been much more serious. Actually, I couldn’t bear with the pain anymore.

“I thought this would be a small matter and I could just soldier through, but when I was picking up my family from the airport, I realised that that right leg couldn’t muster any strength. I couldn’t even straighten it, and it felt like all the blood had rushed to my ankle. It felt like it was about to burst.

“My mother, brother and Addy brought me to a hospital.

An alleged molester who had touched the buttocks of a woman was arrested at Block 371 along Bukit Batok Street 31 yesterday (Feb 11).

Randy, an UberEATS rider, told Stomp that at around 8pm, he saw a group of people who appeared like they were looking for someone.

Upon questioning them, he found out that they were family members of a woman who was said to have been molested.

After completing a food delivery, he returned to the scene at 9pm where he saw police officers and an ambulance.

"It was 9pm when the police and ambulance came because the suspect was roughed up by the family members," said the Stomper.

Stomp understands that a scuffle had broken out.

Randy told Stomp that he overheard an aunty at the scene who said that the family member had kicked the suspect.

Randy also heard from one of the family members that the suspect had touched the woman's buttocks.

According to the Stomper, the accused had allegedly told one of the family members that it was an accident, however upon being questioned by the police, he denied that the incident even happened.

In a video showing the aftermath of the incident, police officers can be seen talking to the victim, a woman who was wearing a floral dress.

The accused is also seen sitting on the floor with his head hung low as police officers questioned him.

In response to media queries from Stomp, the police said that they were alerted to the case of outrage of modesty at around 8.37pm.

"A 29-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the case," said the police.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A series of enforcement operations conducted against unlicensed massage establishments and public entertainment outlets on Feb 7 and 8 has led to the arrest of 14 women.

The raids targeted shops located along Chinatown, Jalan Besar, Serangoon Road and Beach Road.

The police said in a news release that they detected three unlicensed massage establishments during the course of the operations.

A 30-year-old woman, believed to have provided sexual services at one of these outlets, was arrested under the Women’s Charter.

Actions will be taken against the owners of the unlicensed massage establishments under the Massage Establishment Act.

Thirteen women, aged between 20 and 51 were found working illegally at two public entertainment outlets. They were arrested for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

In addition, one of the outlets was found to be operating without a public entertainment licence and also supplied liquor without a liquor licence.

Actions will be taken against the public entertainment outlet operators for contravening licensing conditions.

In their statement, the police added that they "take a serious view of anyone found breaking the law and will continue to take tough enforcement stance against such activities."

Zero1 is the latest, and the third virtual mobile telco in Singapore, following Circles.Life and Zero Mobile.

From today onwards, the first 3,000 customers can pre-register for their unlimited data plan that will be launched in March.

The plan costs $19 for the first month only, after which the plan costs $29.99 a month. It also comes with 200 minutes of free outgoing calls and 200 free outgoing SMS.

According to The Straits Times, Zero1’s regular-priced plan is only “one-third the current market price”.

It also referenced Singtel’s Data X Infinity plan which costs $108.80 a month at least, Starhub’s weekend unlimited data plan that starts from $24 a month, and M1’s mySIM3 98 that costs $98 a month.

3GB at max speed, unlimited data at "managed speed"

The Zero1 plan promises 3GB worth of data at the fastest speed, which supports downloading and streaming.

Stuart Tan, CEO of Zero1 explained that they have to manage the “surfing speed of heavy users” such that it won’t affect other users on the network.

This is a requirement for them to maintain the low price point.

He also said that once the 3GB data cap has been reached, the network will optimise and manage the internet speed when using apps like YouTube, Facebook, or WhatsApp calls.

The plan also includes free caller ID.

Registration and SIM fees, which cost $10.70 and $21.40 respectively, will be waived off during launch promotion period.

Zero1 users don’t need to commit to a year-long binding contract, either.

Its minimum contract period is just one month and subscribers can terminate anytime 30 days in advance.

The virtual communication

Virtual telcos do not require physical networks to provide telecommunication services to consumers.

Zero1 leases their network from Singtel, like Zero Mobile, while Circles.Life partners with M1.

They were reported to have “raised a few million dollars from private investors” like Zone Telecom.

The company plans to provide free voice roaming service through the Zero1 app which is scheduled to be released in June. Other plans include releasing tiered data plans and a streaming service for music and live concerts on other platforms.

Subscribers can use the app to call and receive calls from any Singapore number at no cost while overseas.

This is possible with a call-forwarding technology that Mr Tan made and patented last year which is fixed in a device called Qongle.

Qongle has been integrated into Zero1’s backend systems so data roaming charges will apply, but rates will be released later.

With another telco in the market, which one will you choose?

To find out more about Zero1 or sign up for this plan, check out their website here.

SINGAPORE - Popular hotpot chain Haidilao's branch at Clarke Quay has had its operating licence suspended for two weeks, from Feb 10 to 23, for food hygiene-related offences.

According to a suspension notice by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Feb 10, the outlet had accumulated 12 demerit points over the last 12 months for two violations - handling food with bare hands, and selling food which is unclean.

On top of the suspension, the outlet was also fined $800.

In its statement, NEA stated that "a licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have his licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks, or cancelled."

"All food handlers working in the suspended premises would also be required to attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course again, before they can resume work as food handlers."

According to media reports, a notice posted at the outlet since Saturday (Feb 10) said that the outlet would be "closed for 50 days" for "renovation".

The chain, which originated in Jianyang, Sichuan province, has six other branches in Singapore at Novena Royal Square, 313@Somerset, IMM Building, VivoCity, Bedok Mall and Plaza Singapura. All the other branches remain open.

It has more than 200 outlets in China and across the world, including Los Angeles, Tokyo and Seoul.

The group's Beijing outlets were also in the spotlight last year, after they were exposed by a local newspaper for its unsanitary kitchens and practices.

Videos taken by hidden cameras showed rat-infested kitchens, a dishwasher caked with oily food residue and a worker trying to fix a sewage blockage with a soup ladle.

The chain admitted its management faults and apologised in a public statement.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

A man beat his girlfriend until she passed out for refusing to engage in a sex act, and assaulted his adoptive parents, beating his father to death.

The harrowing incident happened at Block 107, Bedok Reservoir Road on Dec 31, 2015, at around 7am. 

Su Caizhi, 30, pleaded guilty to four charges, including culpable homicide for killing his father, Pang Tee Lin, 72, and causing grievous hurt to his mother, Wong Ah Boey, 69, and girlfriend, Melissa Foo Fern Yin, 34. 

The High Court heard that Su was adopted from Hainan province in China back in 1992, by Mr Pang and Madam Wong, who were childless. 

The couple changed Su’s name to ‘Pang Kee Hiang’ but Su changed it back in September 2015. 

On the day of the incident, Ms Foo had gone over to Su’s family home at Bedok Reservoir Road. 

She brought three packets of noodles which she left on the kitchen table before entering Su’s room. 

Madam Wong later heard Ms Foo crying for help and rushed over to find that Su’s door was locked. 

She thought the two were arguing and returned to washing dishes.

The court heard that Ms Foo had refused in engage in anal sex with Su, and the two got into a heated argument. 

Su then strangled Ms Foo with both his hands until she lost consciousness. 

He then punched her in the face two to three times, and kicked her legs, before stomping on her face, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

He also hit her chest at least once. 

After the assault on Ms Foo, Su saw that case containing his medication was empty and heard voices in his head telling him that his father had hidden the medicine. 

The enraged Su then ran over to the master bedroom and confronted Mr Pang.

Su punched Mr Pang twice on the right side of his face, causing him to fall to the ground. 

After that, Su stomped on Mr Pang’s face.

At the time, Mr Pang’s nose was already bleeding profusely from his head, mouth and nose.

However, Su proceeded to kick him in the chest despite Mr Pang not being able to defend himself. 

Madam Wong went to Su’s room to ask him what happened, but Su grabbed her head and smashed it against the wall. 

Su then slapped her, rained punches on her face, and kneed her in the stomach.

He told her in Mandarin:

“I want to hit you till you die.”

Ms Foo regained conscious while Su was attacking Madam Wong, and called the police after discovering Mr Pang on the floor, motionless. 

When the police arrived, Su was sleeping in his room and was uncooperative when officers called out to him, saying that he did not want to be disturbed. 

The officers then arrested him for causing grievous hurt.

They also found four packets of glue and two empty beer cans in Su’s room. 

Mr Pang was conveyed to Changi General Hospital, where he was warded in the surgical intensive care units. 

He had slipped into a coma, having suffered severe brain injury, as well as fractures to his face, ribs and spine. 

Due to Mr Pang’s poor prognosis, his family members agreed to take him off life support nine days later, on Jan 9, 2016.

According to a medical report, Su inflicted serious injuries to Ms Foo's eyes and nose, and she had to undergo facial reconstruction surgery. 

He also broke three of her left ribs. 

Su has been admitted to the Institute of Mental Health at least seven times since 2012 and has been unemployed since 2014, reports The Straits Times. 

He spent most of his time in his bedroom and on his computer. 

Su showed symptoms of hallucinations, delusions, aggressive behaviour, and disorganised thought, but would often skip his prescribed medication.

He also had a history of alcohol abuse. 

Despite his conditions, his adoptive parents doted on him.

The two, who worked as hawkers, gave Su $70,000 of the $100,000 they received from the sale of their curry rice stall after they retired in August 2014. 

Su lost part of the money in forex trading, and two failed businesses.

He also enrolled in an accounting course which he did not complete and spent the money on Ms Foo and himself, with whom he had an on-off relationship.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Ong urged the court to impose a jail term of at least 18 years, noting the savagery of Su’s actions. 

She said that the elderly couple suffered tragic fates at the hands of a man they had taken in as a boy and raised.

DPP Sarah added:

"He repaid their kindness with savagery.” 

She argued that a lengthy jail term would be necessary to provide Su with a structured environment so as to ensure that he complies with his treatment, and also to protect the public. 

Su’s assigned lawyer, Mr Nakoorsha A.K., asked for a sentence not exceeding 12 years, saying that his client’s actions were not premeditated. 

Mr Nakoorsha said that Su was traumatised and felt abandoned as a child after his birth father left him in Singapore.

He also said that SU had an "emotionally distant" relationship with his adoptive parents, adding that Su hopes that his biological parents will still be alive and he will be able to visit them after being released from prison. 

No date has been set for his sentencing yet.

A three-generation family decided to ‘move’ to Changi Airport six days into their stay at a shelter. 

The family has stayed at the airport for two months and intends to spend the Lunar New Year there as well, albeit not being able to have a reunion dinner.

Peng Hui Ying 45, told Lianhe Wanbao that since selling her flat off in 2016, she, her 74-year-old mother, and 13-year-old son have been moving between two-room rental flats. 

Due to the family owing rent, they were forced to move more than 10 times, reported Lianhe Wanbao. 

As her savings have depleted, Ms Peng and her family could no longer afford a rental flat. 

In December 2017, the family was arranged to move to a transitional shelter.

However, they were unhappy with the arrangements and just six days after moving in, decided to 'move' to Changi Airport instead. 

Said Ms Peng: "We usually spend daytime between Terminal 1 and 3. At night, we’ll sleep at the sofa seats in Terminal 4."

Although there is air conditioning at the airport, Ms Peng said that life has not been a bed of roses. 

READ ALSO: S'pore couple camp at Changi Airport for 7 months: There's free Internet, electricity, water

She said: "We are unable to shower at the airport, and we can only use a wet towel to clean ourselves. We’ll occasionally head to a public swimming complex to bathe."

Ms Peng also claimed that she was so poor that all she had was $5 cash.

At times, kind passersby would deliver bread to the family but most days, the family would spend around $1.60 on two plates of plain chicken rice that they will share. 

The concerned mother confessed that her growing son does not have enough to eat, adding: "We can only afford bread and water to fill his stomach."

Ms Peng said that her son is currently a Secondary 2 student at Punggol Secondary School, and even if he takes the first train every morning, will only be able to reach the school at about 7.30am. 

As such, he is late all the time, but she is unable to do anything about the frustrating situation.

Ms Peng’s mother, Madam Lin Mei Cui cried as she spoke to reporters.

READ ALSO: Woman has lived at Changi Airport for 8 years

She lamented: "We stay at Changi Airport. Every day, people would look at us differently. Chinese New Year is approaching, but we have no home nor do we have money for a reunion dinner. I don’t know how we will be able to spend the Lunar New Year like this."

In response to media queries, a spokesman for the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSFD) said that the Punggol Family Service Centre has been alerted to the situation, and Ms Peng was granted ComCare subsidy between January and March 2018. 

A worker from Punggol Family Service Centre has also provided additional help to the family and arranged for them to move into the transitional shelter in December 2017. 

MSFD also said that it will continue to work with partners to ensure that the family is being provided with the help it needs. 

Is this the most elaborate Chinese New Year decoration you've seen yet?

One resident in Bedok would like to highlight the spectacular effort her neighbour goes through to decorate her home for the Lunar New Year.

According to AsiaOne reader Nabilah who wrote in with the photos, the homeowner, Linda Cheng, 57, makes it a point to dress up her home and even the common corridor for the festive season every year. And this year, visitors to this unit and neighbouring homes in Bedok Reservoir Road Blk 131 are once again guaranteed a visual feast.

Said Nabilah: "My neighbour has done it again. For Chinese New Year this year, she has decorated our common corridor according to this year’s Dog year.

"She pasted Dalmatian stickers on the wall, put up beautiful flower garlands with fairy light decorations, even getting Dalmatian mother and baby plushies to put around.

"She also showcased her Dalmatian dog toys in dog houses, made using the crates which she used for last year’s chicken golden eggs 'nest'. The corridor is brighter and livelier now."

Nabilah said her neighbour has spared no effort this year despite having an eye operation recently and having to work shifts.

"She loves to share her works with people around so that they can feel the joy and spirit of the new year!" said Nabilah.

Speaking to AsiaOne, Ms Cheng said she spent "$700 to $800" this year on the decorations, with the conceptualising process beginning two months ago in December.

Read also

Here's how Jeanette Aw and Evelyn Tan prepare for Chinese New Year

The beauty advisor, who works at Changi Airport, says she has been inspired to carry on her yearly decorations partly because her late father, who suffered from dementia, loved to to see them. Her dad passed away two years ago.

But her main motivation, she says, is to "share the happiness with everyone", and she is heartened that her neighbours, many of whom are Malay, can also appreciate her efforts.

She's also not afraid that people who come by may steal her decorative pieces as well. "If they do, that means they really like it," said Ms Cheng, laughing. 

candicec@sph.com.sg